Saturday, April 27

Oracle, Meat and Three Sides, and Guitar Shaped Flyswatters

Connections?  I think so, but it will be up to you, readers.

First of all, David Blight, who spoke at the Minnesota History Center on the Civil War and Civil Rights, suggested and has now written a book of that title that the Civil War is (or at least should be) America's "oracle."  The Urban Dictionary indicates that an "oracle" is a place or person who can present an "authoritative revelation," often an "ambiguous or enigmatic utterance."   If one looks at the Civil War with any hope of finding some meaning, I think it safe to assume at best it will be "ambiguous or enigmatic."  The more I read, the more I hear, the less I know.  But I do believe the Civil War can provide a powerful window into thinking about contemporary American life, from the rhetoric from Washington to the current hot topic in Murfreesboro - the recent posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments on the wall of the county jail lobby.

Blight also pointed out that the prepared text of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream speech" does not included that oft-quoted, much admired section.  The speech itself, as King wrote it, is a reflection on the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863 -1963) and rings with the phrase, "One hundred years ago, but today..."  It is a powerful speech about the Civil War and Civil Rights.  January 1, 2013, was the 150th anniversary of the date the Proclamation took effect.  2011 - 2015 is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.  Many academics are publishing new studies on all phases of the topic - the Civil War itself, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Civil Rights.  The bookstore here at the Park carries several "hot off the press" books, and they are all worth reading.

But what about "meat and three sides"?  We have now learned that is southern comfort food style of cooking.  For example, at the Bell Buckle Cafe, last evening I had barbequed pork with three sides - baked beans, creamy cole slaw, and turnip greens.  Other options included catfish sticks, grilled chicken or pork chops, meat loaf, roast beef, just to name a few under the meat category.  Sides included carrot souffle, pickled beets, white beans and ham, vinegar cole slaw, new potatoes, and sometimes broccoli/cauliflower salad.  All of this comes with a biscuit or cornbread, the latter as a pancake.  The food is delicious, and you don't leave hungry!

And then there are the guitar shaped flyswatters at Ernest Tubbs' Record Shop on Music Lane in Nashville.  With his signature on the back, you must admit they would be effective!